1911 Bouteille, verre, fourchette Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) Period of creation: 1908-1918

The composition presents a fragmented still life, rendered in a restricted palette dominated by ochre, brown, grey, and black tones. The objects – a bottle, a glass, and a fork – are not depicted realistically but are broken down into geometric planes and facets, reassembled in an unconventional manner. These forms overlap and interpenetrate, creating a sense of spatial ambiguity; it is difficult to discern a clear foreground or background.
The artist employed a technique that suggests multiple viewpoints simultaneously. The bottle’s form, for instance, appears from several angles at once, its cylindrical shape fractured into angular segments. Similarly, the glass seems to be viewed both in profile and frontally. The fork, positioned towards the right of the frame, is similarly deconstructed, its tines appearing as sharp, fragmented lines.
The overall effect is one of disorientation and abstraction. The objects are not presented for their inherent beauty or symbolic value but rather as subjects for formal exploration. The artist seems more interested in investigating the possibilities of representing three-dimensional forms on a two-dimensional surface through geometric reduction and spatial distortion than in creating an illusionistic depiction.
The oval format of the canvas contributes to this sense of enclosure and compression, further emphasizing the flattened nature of the pictorial space. The inclusion of what appear to be handwritten notations or markings within the composition adds another layer of complexity. These inscriptions are not legible but contribute to a feeling of immediacy and spontaneity, as if the artist recorded thoughts or observations directly onto the canvas during the creative process.
Subtly, theres an underlying tension between order and chaos. The geometric forms suggest a deliberate structure, yet their fragmentation and overlapping create a sense of visual instability. This interplay hints at a questioning of traditional perspectives and representations, suggesting a shift away from established artistic conventions towards a more subjective and analytical approach to the depiction of everyday objects.